Update: Governor Joins Romney Fundraiser Tonight in McLean

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell decided at the Tuesday morning to attend Mitt Romneys first fundraiser in McLean.

The fundraiser was not orginally on the governor's schedule, but McDonnell's office notified McLean Patch Tuesday morning that the governor would attend.

The fundraiser's major sponsors were Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, chairman of Mitt Roney's campaign in the Old Dominion State and Del. Barbara Comstock

ORIGINAL Story: Presidential contender Mitt Romney and former President Bill Clinton visit well-known McLean addresses next week for major fundraisers.

Carly Fiorina, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate from California and was president and chief executive officer then chairman of the board of Hewlett-Packard Company, also comes to Great Falls for a fundraiser.

Tuesday, Gov. Romney, in the hunt for the 2012 GOP president nomination, headlines a fundraiser for himself at the Langley home of Bobbie Kilberg, a favorite address for Republican fundraisers.

Kilberg, president of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, recently hosted a fundraiser for Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34) at her stunning woodsy home.

This time Comstock and her husband, Kilberg and her husband join Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and his wife as co-chairs of the Romney event. The invitation indicates that becoming a co-chair means raising $10,000.

Friday afternoon, former President Bill Clinton arrives  at the Old Dominion Drive home of his old friend Terry McAuliffe, whose address has become a favorite address of Democratic fundraisers.

The invitation says, "Please join President Clinton and our own Terry McAuliffe for a reception . . . your support will help give Virginia Democrats the resources and grassroots energy needed to prevent a Tea Party majority in the VA state Senate."

The price of admission for both events is similar. Romney: $500 to $10,000. Clinton: $1,000 to $10,000. Both events feature private receptions. For Romney, donors giving at least $2,500 are invited to a VIP photo reception which precedes the general reception.

At the Clinton event, donors giving at least $5,000 at invited to a private reception preceding the general reception.

McAuliffe has said this is the only local fundraising event the former president is attending this fall. McAuliffe was the chairman of the Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2008 and is the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He ran unsuccessfully for Virginia governor in 2009.

Fiorina is coming to Great Falls Wednesday for Virginia Republican Senate candidate Caren Merrick. Those tickets range from $35 to $2,500. Merrick is running against Democrat Barbara Favola.

Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean Connaughton is also listed as a "special guest."

Why do folks come to McLean to raise money? McLean ranks among the zip codes with the highest totals in political contributions.  Residents in zip code 22101 made $4.1 million in political donations in the 2010 election cycle, down from $5.3 million in 2006, the last mid-term election cycle.

A similar pattern crops up in McLean’s second zip code 22102 where residents donated $2.5 million last year, down from $3.8 million in 2006, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics.